Northstar - The MBS Newsletter
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Newsletter- 1st Edition July 1st 2005

Eating Intuitively

Did you ever go about your day and just want a certain food? Maybe it is an orange, or maybe nuts, steak, or that chocolate bar that we just can't pass up. We all get these messages and /or cravings and I suggest that is may be because our body is trying to tell us something.

Often the messages get lost and we just ignore them, sometimes we just hit the candy machine, I certainly can relate to those days. Did you ever just listen to those messages and then follow through and find it felt so good to eat that pineapple or apple or piece of fillet or maybe it is the chocolate bar after all. What does it all mean? It is a wonderful thing to be able to listen to your body; actually, I think it is a really important thing to do. It can be referred to as "intuitively" eating. Actually listening to your body - what would that be like to do in a healthy way? It may help if you knew what some of the signals meant.

Now how can the craving for sweets or salt or fat be healthy you say? This is a great question. The truth is those cravings are trying to tell you that there is an imbalance going on in your body, those cravings can be messages saying you need minerals, or vitamins or there may be yeast that is taking the energy from the food that you eat. So when cravings are severe you may try this perspective, "what am I missing in my diet"? In the beginning when you start to eat healthier foods, really pay attention to how your body reacts. Actually feel the energy and feel the difference between eating lighter whole foods and the heavier junk food variety. As you go through this process your tastes will change and you will become more aware of the food that your body wants. You will also recognize the foods that make you feel lighter verses other foods that are heavy and weigh you down, literally, and make you feel bloated after you eat.

The intention of your body is to keep you healthy; our messages can get mixed up when we put in things that are nutritionally empty. Try taking some time after you eat to listen to how your body reacts to the food that you are consuming. Some foods are heavy and you just want to take a nap afterwards and other meals leave you energized. Answer this question when you get caught up in deciding what you really want from your food, "how do I want to feel after I eat? Energized or exhausted?

In the beginning of eating more intuitively you may not see a difference the first few meals, give it time. Start keeping track in a food journal, the foods you eat and then how you feel after you eat them. Start paying attention to the food messages we get all day long. If it is the candy bar, know that maybe your body is looking for a mineral or maybe you are missing the essential fats or maybe there is a nutritional imbalance that is causing the craving. Sometimes the organs are over stressed from ingesting junk food and need vitamins and minerals and protein from nutritious whole foods. Take a few days and follow the signals from your body and see how you feel.

If you continue to have those chocolate and or sugar cravings, it is time to take a look at what you may be missing or have too much of. One of the things we don't hear too much about is heavy metals in our body, but they can be interfering with your good health. Heavy metals such as high copper, cadmium, aluminum, lead, etc, can give you many symptoms that we live with every day. Some of those responses may be fatigue, light-headedness, and constipation.

Did you ever drink 8 glasses of water a day and still feel thirsty, and you couldn't figure out what you needed to do to satisfy that thirst? This may mean you need fat in your diet. All of these things are signals to let us know to listen more intuitively to our bodies and to those messages. They are gifts from our subconscious to our conscious selves to nurture our bodies the way they were meant to be.

Try to keep food in the fun and enjoyable category. How do you want food to be a part of your life, what are the bigger issues around eating that hold you back from reaching your goals? Breathe, this is a very big one; take some time in your day to take deep cleansing breaths of fresh air. With each inhale picture rebuilding with light and nourishing food and with each exhale picture letting go of toxins and any symptoms that may be obstructing your path to perfect health.

Know what foods your body needs, listening to your body (on a mind, body, spirit level) and identifying what foods are providing you with the life force energy to the things you were meant to do, is a process that takes time.

Learning to be the intuitive eater that we were meat to be may be the answer we are looking for to begin the process of eating healthier foods.

Carol Beller, Nutritionist/Coach
www.carolbeller.com
518.432.0413